Information about herd immunity through vaccination and empathy promote COVID-19 vaccination intentions

Stefan Pfattheicher; Michael Bang Petersen; Robert Böhm

doi:10.1037/hea0001096

Information about herd immunity through vaccination and empathy promote COVID-19 vaccination intentions

Stefan Pfattheicher^*, Michael Bang Petersen, Robert Böhm

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: An effective vaccine against COVID-19 is a desired solution to curb the spread of the disease. However, vaccine hesitancy might hinder high uptake rates and thus undermine efforts to eliminate COVID-19 once an effective vaccine became available. The present contribution addresses this issue by examining two ways of increasing the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

METHOD: Two preregistered online studies were conducted (N = 2,315 participants from the United Kingdom) in which knowledge about and beliefs in herd immunity through vaccination, as well as empathy for those most vulnerable to the virus, were either measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2). As a dependent variable, individuals' self-reported vaccination intention once a vaccine against COVID-19 became available was assessed.

RESULTS: In Study 1 (N = 310), the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was correlated with knowledge about and belief in herd immunity through vaccination (r = .58, p < .001), as well as with empathy for those most vulnerable to the virus (r = .26, p < .001). In Study 2 (N = 2,005), information about herd immunity through vaccination (Cohen's d = .13, p = .003) and empathy (Cohen's d = .22, p < .001) independently promoted vaccination intention.

CONCLUSIONS: The motivation to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was related to and could be causally promoted by both mere information about herd immunity through vaccination and by empathy. As such, the present research provides a better understanding of the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Original language	English
Journal	Health Psychology
Volume	41
Issue	2
Pages (from-to)	85-93
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0278-6133
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001096
Publication status	Published - Feb 2022

Keywords

COVID-19
herd immunity
empathy
prosociality
vaccination
Vaccination/psychology
Humans
Immunity, Herd
Empathy
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19 Vaccines
COVID-19/prevention & control
Intention

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10.1037/hea0001096

Information about herd immunity through vaccination and empathy promote COVID-19 vaccination intentions_Accepted manuscript_2021Accepted manuscript, 392 KB

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title = "Information about herd immunity through vaccination and empathy promote COVID-19 vaccination intentions",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: An effective vaccine against COVID-19 is a desired solution to curb the spread of the disease. However, vaccine hesitancy might hinder high uptake rates and thus undermine efforts to eliminate COVID-19 once an effective vaccine became available. The present contribution addresses this issue by examining two ways of increasing the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19.METHOD: Two preregistered online studies were conducted (N = 2,315 participants from the United Kingdom) in which knowledge about and beliefs in herd immunity through vaccination, as well as empathy for those most vulnerable to the virus, were either measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2). As a dependent variable, individuals' self-reported vaccination intention once a vaccine against COVID-19 became available was assessed.RESULTS: In Study 1 (N = 310), the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was correlated with knowledge about and belief in herd immunity through vaccination (r = .58, p < .001), as well as with empathy for those most vulnerable to the virus (r = .26, p < .001). In Study 2 (N = 2,005), information about herd immunity through vaccination (Cohen's d = .13, p = .003) and empathy (Cohen's d = .22, p < .001) independently promoted vaccination intention.CONCLUSIONS: The motivation to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was related to and could be causally promoted by both mere information about herd immunity through vaccination and by empathy. As such, the present research provides a better understanding of the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).",

keywords = "COVID-19, herd immunity, empathy, prosociality, vaccination, Vaccination/psychology, Humans, Immunity, Herd, Empathy, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 Vaccines, COVID-19/prevention & control, Intention",

author = "Stefan Pfattheicher and Petersen, {Michael Bang} and Robert B{\"o}hm",

year = "2022",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1037/hea0001096",

language = "English",

volume = "41",

pages = "85--93",

journal = "Health Psychology",

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Information about herd immunity through vaccination and empathy promote COVID-19 vaccination intentions. / Pfattheicher, Stefan ; Petersen, Michael Bang; Böhm, Robert.
In: Health Psychology, Vol. 41, No. 2, 02.2022, p. 85-93.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Information about herd immunity through vaccination and empathy promote COVID-19 vaccination intentions

AU - Pfattheicher, Stefan

AU - Petersen, Michael Bang

AU - Böhm, Robert

PY - 2022/2

Y1 - 2022/2

N2 - OBJECTIVE: An effective vaccine against COVID-19 is a desired solution to curb the spread of the disease. However, vaccine hesitancy might hinder high uptake rates and thus undermine efforts to eliminate COVID-19 once an effective vaccine became available. The present contribution addresses this issue by examining two ways of increasing the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19.METHOD: Two preregistered online studies were conducted (N = 2,315 participants from the United Kingdom) in which knowledge about and beliefs in herd immunity through vaccination, as well as empathy for those most vulnerable to the virus, were either measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2). As a dependent variable, individuals' self-reported vaccination intention once a vaccine against COVID-19 became available was assessed.RESULTS: In Study 1 (N = 310), the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was correlated with knowledge about and belief in herd immunity through vaccination (r = .58, p < .001), as well as with empathy for those most vulnerable to the virus (r = .26, p < .001). In Study 2 (N = 2,005), information about herd immunity through vaccination (Cohen's d = .13, p = .003) and empathy (Cohen's d = .22, p < .001) independently promoted vaccination intention.CONCLUSIONS: The motivation to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was related to and could be causally promoted by both mere information about herd immunity through vaccination and by empathy. As such, the present research provides a better understanding of the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

AB - OBJECTIVE: An effective vaccine against COVID-19 is a desired solution to curb the spread of the disease. However, vaccine hesitancy might hinder high uptake rates and thus undermine efforts to eliminate COVID-19 once an effective vaccine became available. The present contribution addresses this issue by examining two ways of increasing the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19.METHOD: Two preregistered online studies were conducted (N = 2,315 participants from the United Kingdom) in which knowledge about and beliefs in herd immunity through vaccination, as well as empathy for those most vulnerable to the virus, were either measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2). As a dependent variable, individuals' self-reported vaccination intention once a vaccine against COVID-19 became available was assessed.RESULTS: In Study 1 (N = 310), the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was correlated with knowledge about and belief in herd immunity through vaccination (r = .58, p < .001), as well as with empathy for those most vulnerable to the virus (r = .26, p < .001). In Study 2 (N = 2,005), information about herd immunity through vaccination (Cohen's d = .13, p = .003) and empathy (Cohen's d = .22, p < .001) independently promoted vaccination intention.CONCLUSIONS: The motivation to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was related to and could be causally promoted by both mere information about herd immunity through vaccination and by empathy. As such, the present research provides a better understanding of the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

KW - COVID-19

KW - herd immunity

KW - empathy

KW - prosociality

KW - vaccination

KW - Vaccination/psychology

KW - Humans

KW - Immunity, Herd

KW - Empathy

KW - SARS-CoV-2

KW - COVID-19 Vaccines

KW - COVID-19/prevention & control

KW - Intention

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125682689&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/hea0001096

DO - 10.1037/hea0001096

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34570535

SN - 0278-6133

VL - 41

SP - 85

EP - 93

JO - Health Psychology

JF - Health Psychology

IS - 2

ER -

Information about herd immunity through vaccination and empathy promote COVID-19 vaccination intentions

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